The answer here is no.
The Caps failure to win the Cup last year was not the result of a fluke or the odd bad break. They lost to a better team that was deeper in talent and more prepared for playoff hockey. The Caps have proven that they are a well-oiled, productive regular season team - one that waltzed to division first-place and conference second-place finishes despite an early season rash of injuries that was almost comical. But they have to understand that the time for playoff hockey is now - not April.
That is not to say a Cup is out of reach.
On the positive side, they have added depth up front. The assumption here is that Knuble is a substantial upgrade to the lineup. If Brendan Morrison is productive enough to hold down the #2 center spot, and if Clark and Fehr have recovered from injuries and skate to their potential, the Caps will have a third line that is much improved over that which was patched together at various times throughout last season. Given that scenario, the fourth line of Gordon and Bradley along Laing/Laich/Fehr/Bourque will be better than most and the Caps may well have the strongest set of forward lines in the league.
But we already knew that they are a potent offensive force under a coach who knows how to use those assets. What remains open for debate is whether the defense can make a substantial improvement despite the lack of personnel upgrades. The big “X-factor” in the Stanley Cup equation may well turn out to be new assistant coach Bob Woods and his ability to build cohesion into a defensive corps that is often stretched to capacity in supporting an ambitious offensive scheme.
- Will the defense get significantly better at moving the puck under pressure?
- Is Varlamov good enough to take the starting job from Theodore?
- Will the penalty kill improve to be among the league's top ten?
- Will Schultz or Jurcina step up and become a take-charge physical presence?
- Will they stop taking stupid penalties?
In summary: If the answer to most or all these questions is ‘yes’, then the Caps have to be considered the odds-on favorite to win the Cup, otherwise they figure to go no further than the second or third round and will need some breaks to make it to the finals.
Game On!!!
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